Pine martens in the Irish fur trade

In his book A basket of Weasels, James Fairley describes in detail the trade in pine marten pelts that took place in Ireland, dating back to at least medieval times. He refers to the research undertaken by Dr Kathleen Longfield, which showed that the value of exports of hides and skins from Ireland to Britain in the 16th century was second only to that of fish, and that pride of place among the pelts was that of the pine marten.